In the name of the children
by ylemon
Summary: An English teacher is murdered in Acton. Lynley is in charge of the investigation but, as Havers grew up there, he thinks she's just the partner he needs on the case. They'll discover that friendship doesn't have the same meaning for everybody and that there is a price to pay to protect a child.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the first chapter of a detective story but I think this chapter can be read as a stand-alone story. Angst/Friendship. Lynley/Havers.

When Lynley had called Barbara back after the roller-derby match, he immediately had felt that something was wrong. Barbara's voice was hoarse, veiled. From the sound of it Lynley had knew that his sergeant (he would have fiercely denied referring to Havers as HIS sergeant, but nobody was listening to his inner thoughts, right?) his sergeant was trying as hard as she could to hold her tears back. She had tried to convince him that she was OK, that she would see him the morning after at the Met, that she just needed some sleep, Lynley knew her too well to be fooled. So he had driven Denton back to Eaton Terrace and had gone to her house to learn first-hand what had happened. In Chalk Farm, he had gone round the big yellow house that had been turned into flats and walked rapidly to Barbara's small cottage. He could see the lights were still on inside. Barbara wasn't asleep. He rang at the door.

Her fit of rage in the shower had left Barbara Havers completely drained. After having dried herself and admitted that she had not only ruined her new haircut but had compromised all chance to appear with neatly done hair for some months, she had gone to see Azhar. She didn't know what to tell him but her neighbour, her friend, needed support. She had found him sleeping out of exhaustion in his bedroom, curled up upon the bed, his head resting on his arm. She'd been to Haddiyyah's bedroom to retrieve the blanket on the little girl's bed and covered Azhar with it. She had turned off the lighst and had slipped outside the flat. She had returned to her place shivering. She was exhausted physical and emotionally and the night was chilling. The small electric fire in the single room of her bungalow was bravely fighting against the cold but, despite the warmth in the room Barbara felt frozen inside. She felt more depressed than she had ever been. She tumbled more than sat down on the couch and started to sob. The sound of the doorbell made her jump. _Who could it be? Azhar?_ She wrapped the old blanket covering the couch around her and dragged herself to the front door she opened while sweeping away the tears rolling on her cheeks with the back of her hand.

- Sir?!

- Havers! Good Lord, what happened?

Lynley was standing in front of her. His face went white with stupor at the sight of his sergeant disheveled and in tears but Barbara didn't notice. All she did notice was that he was here. Without thinking, without even realizing what she was doing Barbara rushed into his arms.

- Barbara? Barbara?!

Lynley was stunned by Barbara's reaction. She, who had always made it a point of honour to stand up to everything on her own, had totally surrendered. Lynley thought that she must had received quite a shock to behave this way. She was holding him tight with all her forces as if he were the last tangible thing in the world, her head buried in the lapel of his cashmere coat.

Lynley put his arms around the young woman, rest his cheek on the top of her head and tried to soothe her like one cradles a child.

- Shhh…Barbara. It's OK now. I'm here. Shhhh…

- She's gone! She's gone and she took her! She fooled us all! She told me…she told me she was my friend…Rubbish! She took me in! Didn't see anything coming and now it's too late. What a dope! I'm so useless! So bloody stupid!

- Barbara! Raising his voice Lynley ended his embrace, clutched at her shoulders and fixed his gaze into Barbara's eyes. Stop it! I don't understand a thing of what you're telling me but I cannot let you speak like that.

-That…That's true sir…, Barbara hiccupped with sobs in her voice. I'm stupid…I believed all her lies. Her bloody advice on fashion. Her damn opinion on the hair-cut I should get. As if she cared about me! As if we could be friends! We had nothing in common. What the hell was I thinking? That was written all along but I swallowed it all, hook, line and sinker!

-Who are you talking about?

All of a sudden Barbara realized that Lynley knew nothing of what had happened. She needed to explain the situation first. And this would mean thinking about it once again when she would have given everything to forget. She swallowed hard and fixing her eyes on the ground near Lynley's left foot, she began her explanations.

"My little neighbour, Hadiyyah…

- The little girl you saved in Essex.

- Yeah…, Barbara muttered, uneasy. She had no regret about what she had done onboard that boat on the North Sea, to tell the whole truth she had not regretted it even when she had been demoted and thought she had lost Lynley's friendship. But Barbara didn't have fond memories of that time and she didn't like to think about it. That's her. Her mother snatched her.

- Come. Lynley put his arm around her shoulders and guided her inside the house. He pulled up a chair for her to sit at the table standing near the window and went to the kitchen. He put the kettle on, washed and dried a mug he found in the sink and unearthed a tea bag and some sugar in a cupboard. There was a bottle of milk in the fridge and he was sniffing its content suspiciously when the kettle clicked off. He placed the tea mug in front of his partner and pulling another chair out from the table sat facing her.

Barbara pressed her hands around the mug and looked like she could find some solace from the warmth passing on to her palms. She went on with a steadier voice:

- When I moved in here, Hadi was alone with her father. Her mother was gone, officially on holidays to Canada, in fact off with some bloke. She came back some months ago, apparently for good, all smile, living-happily-forever-after if you see what I mean, sir. Hadiyyah was so happy to see her mother again. We got on well. She tipped me off about clothes, hairdo…Like mates do. But she was pretending. She deceived us all and now she has taken her daughter. Azhar is devastated. He hasn't got a clue where they might be. There's sod we can do.

- Her father can lodge a complaint. He's some rights over her, too.

- Actually no, he hasn't. No paper, no mention of him on Hadiyyah' s birth certificate, nothing. Barbara went on to explain Azhar's status, how he had left his first wife without divorcing her, which had prevented him to marry Hadi's mother, and how he didn't appear on his daughter's papers. Barbara ended the story, looking very tired: So you see, he has no right over her. Nothing. Sod-all. Only his huge, unconditional love for his daughter but the courts don't give a damn about that.

- Where is he now? Lynley asked.

- At home. Sleeping. In the end he just crashed on his bed. Went to see him after I phoned you but I didn't have the heart to wake him up.

- You did well, Barbara. He'll wake up soon enough to find his worst nightmare has become reality.

In the sudden silence Barbara felt the presence of a ghost, whom she would have sworn it, had the brown hair and smile of Helen Lynley. She cursed herself for having called Lynley. Surely he didn't need to be confronted with the distress of a man who had just lost everything he loved. Lynley had lost his wife and his unborn son, and even if he was getting better the pain was still there without her reopening his wound.

- Oh shit…Sir. I'm sorry…I shouldn't have called you.

Lynley frowned at her questioningly and then he realized what she was talking about. He put his hand over Barbara's wrist and smiled slightly.

- I'm fine, Barbara. Don't worry about me when you're the one who needs support.

Barbara met his eyes and smiled back at him.

-'Ta, sir.

- That's Tommy, Lynley replied, his hand still resting on the woman's wrist, his eyes locked inside hers.

- Sir, retorted Barbara holding his gaze, a thin smile on her lips.

Lynley squeezed Barbara's wrist.

- Tommy.

Barbara's smile grew wider.

- Sir.

- Tommy! Lynley frowned at her, trying to look threatening but his eyes told otherwise. That's Tommy tonight, right?

- Yes, Sir! Barbara shouted out, a mischievous twinkle in her reddened eyes.

_Good Lord_, Lynley thought, _she almost jumped on her feet to salute me._

They looked defiantly at each other for a few seconds before surrendering in a laugh.

- What have I done to end up with such a partner?

- My old man always told me you get what you deserve, sir.

- The same to you, Barbara.

- Ta, sir. I didn't think I was worth an eminent member of the landed gentry, Barbara teased him.

- You're worth more than the entire House of Lords, Barbara. Lynley was suddenly serious; there was no trace of irony in his voice. As much as Barbara's trademark stubbornness, her profound aversion to hierarchy and her genuine disdain of aristocracy irritated Lynley, as much he admired her ability to keep her objectivity under all circumstances, her sharp mind and her no-nonsense behaviour. Not to mention her big heart.

Barbara broke visual contact. They were on slippery ground here and Barbara didn't like the way the conversation was turning. She would have been perfectly happy with the usual banter. What was Lynley thinking telling her that? She took a sip of her tea and forced herself to look at the man in front of her.

- It's becoming late, sir. I've already spoiled most of your evening. You should go home.

- Don't worry about that. Denton doesn't need my company. You've had something to eat, Barbara?

- Er, no. I've been rather busy, you see…

- I wouldn't say no to a bite myself. Let's see what we can find to have a good feed. Lynley got up and opened the fridge. He gave a puzzled look at a cold dish of meat and some leftovers of…of what, good Lord? Was there anything edible left among the salmonellae? Closing the fridge, he said over his shoulder: Right then, and what about having something delivered here? You fancy something? Indian, Chinese, pizza? Make your choice, my treat.

They've ordered Indian food finally and after diner they sat on the couch for a nightcap. Barbara was feeling fine. She knew this feeling wouldn't last long, that reality would catch up with her first thing in the morning but right now she wanted to savour the moment because the future would be hard and bleak without Haddiyah. She would do everything possible to find the girl and bring her home to her father but Barbara was well aware that this would be very difficult and that she would have to overcome many obstacles and for the moment she didn't want to give too much a thought about all this. She was listening to Lynley who was talking about Cornwall, about an endemic orchid a botanist had discovered in a remote valley of Howenstow, about his mother's project to protect the site. As fatigue sank in, Barbara took less and less part in the conversation, contenting herself to listening to Lynley's soft baritone. She resisted the ever growing drowsiness with all her willpower because, for the first time in what looked like a million years, and although her world was crumbling right before her eyes, she was at peace with herself. There she was, in the middle of the night, alone at home with a man, her superior, a bloody Lord, aristocratic to his fingertips yet she felt at ease and she relished that feeling and didn't want it to end. Finally she couldn't resist slumber anymore and felt asleep her head against the back of the couch. Lynley took away the glass she was still holding in her hand and put it on the table where the leftovers of their diner were now completely cold. He looked at Barbara wondering what the best thing to do was. He wasn't so sure about staying here, prolonging this moment of intimacy they've just shared seemed a bit risky but on the other hand he couldn't bring himself to leave now that she was asleep, he would have felt like those bastards who wait for their one-night partner to fall asleep before running away. No, there was no way he could leave her. He turned all the lights off but the small reading lamp next to the couch. Very slowly, taking extra care not to awake her, he turned Barbara around so her legs were now on the couch. Then he sat down next to her and made her lie down with her head on his right thigh. He covered Barbara with the blanket, gently ran his fingers in her hair, let out a sigh at how she'd ruined her nice haircut and whispering "Good night, Barbara. Sweet dreams" he turned the light off.


	2. Chapter 2

She had almost moved in the library on the twelfth floor of New Scotland Yard to work on Hadiyyah's case. But days had turned into weeks and weeks into months. Barbara was exhausted and her daily work as a detective sergeant was suffering as a result. She had difficulties to focus on a task, she lacked attention when interviewing witnesses, her analysis was less pertinent. When Lynley had talked to her about that she had denied it and they had argued fiercely. Lynley put the official investigations before every other matter.

Barbara had once again found shelter in the library to have a look at some pictures from the CCTV of Waterloo Station when Dorothea Harriman appeared in front of her. Neatly dressed, her hair combed with taste she was the embodiment of the ever efficient and professional secretary. Barbara felt herself blushing with shame at the thought of what she was wearing: a green blouse that had seen better days over creased black trousers too tightly fitted, complete with her trademark red high-top trainers. She had never given much thought about personal grooming and it was even worse since Hadiyyah had been missing.

- Detective Sergeant Havers, Acting Superintendent Ardery would like to have a word with you in her office now.

- I'm coming, Dee, Barbara replied.

- She insisted you come with the files you're currently working on, added Dorothea gesturing at the pictures displayed in front of Barbara.

Shit, Barbara cursed inwardly. She was supposed to work with Lynley on the murder of a wealthy octogenarian woman. All the clues were leading to the old lady's husband, a gigolo in his early thirties who had a beautiful and young mistress and who was, it seemed, all the more in a hurry to inherit from his rich wife that his mistress was pregnant. Ardery would never ever believe that the pictures Barbara was working on, which were all of Indian-looking ten-year-old girls, had anything to do with this case.

Barbara took her time to gather the pictures and put them in a manila. Her heart was pounding so strongly she was sure Dee could hear it. She tried to steady her hands but the secretary noticed her tension and added:

- Detective Inspector Lynley is already in her office.

Lynley? What the hell was he doing there? Was he so mad at her that he'd gone to see Ardery? For a brief moment Barbara pictured the scene: a very upset Lynley complaining to Isabelle _('cause it was Isabelle for him, he'd laid her long enough to use her forename, right? _she reflected bitterly_) _about her lack of professionalism. And Ardery: You're right, Thomas, this is absolutely unacceptable. But as she stepped into the lift Barbara realized the absurdity of her fantasy. Lynley had let her know that she ought to be 100% focused on her job but he had done so when no one else was around and furthermore he had covered her more than once when she needed to flee from the office or when the Human Resources Department had inquired about her ever growing overtime work. Yes, he indeed had covered her and maybe that was the reason why he had been summoned to the superintendent's office, Barbara reckoned.

As soon as she entered Ardery's office, Barbara knew her latest assumption was the right one. She could feel the tension between the acting superintendent and the inspector. Ardery was sitting upright on her chair behind her desk while Lynley was standing by the window, arms crossed, looking at the street.

- Ah, DS Havers. It's so kind of you to come and join us, Ardery said ironically. Please take a seat, she added gesturing towards the chairs in front of her desk.

Barbara dumped her shoulder bag on the floor and sat down without saying a word. She knew that she could not prevent her voice from trembling just yet and she was firmly decided not to let Ardery hear it.

- Thomas, we can resume our talk.

When Lynley turned around Barbara met his gaze. His eyes were saying: Sorry. He had a brief sad smile and sat next to her. He crossed his legs and put his hands over his knee his left hand covering the right one.

- DS Havers, DI Lynley've just told me that you have now gathered enough evidence against Mr. Engelworth to arrest him for the murder of his wife. I'm happy to hear that.

Barbara swallowed hard and managed to mutter a "Thank you, Ma'am" almost inaudible. What was the meaning of all this, she wondered. From Lynley's attitude, she was sure Ardery hadn't summoned them to congratulate them on a job well done. The superintendent went on:

- I am glad you got this case over with so rapidly. I must admit DS Havers that I have noticed how you've worked enthusiastically. All your working overtime, all your search in the archives…Thomas, you really should have asked for the assignment of an additional resource rather than having Barbara work so hard. DS Nkata was available I reckon.

- I did not deem it necessary to get Nkata involved. Havers did well even if her research took longer than I had expected.

Lynley's voice was steady and calm. Only his right hand clenched into a fist was betraying the fire burning inside him. His posture was open and relaxed as suited a man with his education but was no clue to his thoughts. Barbara marvelled at his composure and blamed herself for having doubted him. He was once again covering her, deliberately lying to their superior. How could she ever thank him enough? To what end will she be willing to go for him? The answer that popped into her mind was too disturbing for her to contemplate there and now. Ardery had resumed talking:

- Truth is sergeant Havers has spent a huge amount of time in the library, indeed. As a matter of fact you were still there a few minutes ago, weren't you Barbara? Mind sharing with us what you were working on?

Barbara felt a chill going down her spine. She put on her best poker face and tried a bluff.

- Actually it was a wrong track. Nothing at all. One of the witness thought he had seen the suspect at Waterloo's station but there's nothing on the video footage. Ma'am, she added as an afterthought.

- But you _do_ have some photographs, Barbara. Let's have a look at them together. Three pairs of eyes are better than one.

Later, when she was able to think about what had happened without feeling the urge to yell or to tear to pieces everything that felt under her hand, Barbara realized that that was _then_ she had made a mistake. Instead of immediately reaching out for the manila in her shoulder bag and showing the photographs while trying to make them fit her story, she had glanced at Lynley. Oh, so briefly. So lightly. But explicitly enough for Ardery to understand exactly what it meant _What should I do?_, and then all hell broke loose.

- Sergeant Havers! Do I really need to remind you who's the higher ranking officer in this room? Do I really need to remind you that, at the end of the day, _I_ am your superior? When I ask you to do something, _anything,_ sergeant, you comply. You follow _my_ orders, sergeant, not inspector Lynley's. Show me those pictures, sergeant! Now!

- Isabelle.

That was unexpected: Lynley using her first name at work, in front of someone else. But she wouldn't let him destabilize her.

- No, Thomas, no. Enough. If you think, both of you, that I've not noticed your making a fool out of me, you're grossly mistaken. Since I've been here you've kept on disregarding my authority. There was just no way to rein you in. Right from the start, during this case in the New Forest, Barbara, you've acted against my orders and Thomas has covered you. And then, it's you, Thomas, who's disappeared God knows where to work on God knows what case. And I look like the fool of all fools when I realize that you've talked Barbara into working on that case and that she wouldn't let me know what's going on because she'd rather have her head chopped off twice than betray you, Thomas!

Barbara blushed heavily and lost herself in the contemplation of her hands. Ardery went on:

- And now, there you go again! Except it's the other way round. Now it's you, Thomas, who's deceiving me, who's lying for her. Enough, now. This must stop! I've had just enough of your double act. You've been working together for what? Six, seven years? Now's the time you move on to something else.

Barbara straightened in her chair and looked up but before she could say anything Lynley spoke.

The inspector had listened to Isabelle's burst of anger without batting an eyelid for he reckoned that part of the blame was well deserved but the implication of the last sentence and Barbara's reaction inclined him to speak before his partner added fuel to the fire.

- I admit I went beyond my prerogatives on several occasions to let sergeant Havers follow a trail I knew you didn't want her to follow. But I did so because I thought she may actually have been on the right track. And I have not been disappointed for, each time, her intuition had led us to the murderer. I understand your reluctance to let Havers act, a priori, completely freely as you've been working with her for a short period of time, but I've been her partner for 6 years now and I completely trust her for digging up the clues that will lead us to the murderer. And, at the end of the day, that is what is expected of us, isn't that? Catch the murderer, and find enough evidence to secure his or her conviction. As to that case I couldn't tell you about, may I suggest that you talk to assistant commissioner Hillier about it? I cannot tell you anything without his approval but, please, rest assured that what Barbara and I did on this case was supervised by Sir David himself.

Barbara raised an eyebrow when she heard Lynley give Hillier the full Sir David treatment. She knew Lynley's strong antipathy towards the man because she felt the same.

- Speaking of Sir David, Thomas. I have talked to him and made clear that I intended to proceed to a few changes in the teams DI-DS. I need all of you to respect my authority and I cannot let a duet like yours defy me constantly.

- We do not defy you Isabelle.

- Of course you do! You're acting as if you had nobody to report to. Even DI Stewart has come to accept my leadership but you and Havers keep doing as you please. This must stop. I reckon, and Hillier agrees with me, that your cooperation has been successful but with the time you somehow came to think and act as it if were you two against the rest of the world. This being said, you are good coppers and I am sure your experience could be beneficial to other detectives. That's why, from now on, you won't work together anymore, and you'll be assigned new partners.

- Isabelle…,Lynley begun.

- Rubbish! Barbara thundered jumping on her feet. We're a bloody good team! Maybe the best team of the whole CID! There may be some stains on our records but I'm damn sure we've the best resolution rate! We work well together. Hell, he's the only inspector I work well with!

- It's time for you to grow sergeant! You cannot expect to work with the same partner your whole career. You've learnt a lot with DI Lynley as you'll learn a lot more working with another DI. This will be good for your career, trust me.

- What's wrong with you? Can't you just let me be? Whatever I do is never good enough for you! First you wanted me to change the way I'm dressed, then my haircut wasn't stylish enough, now I've not the right partner…

- I am mentoring you, Barbara. I am concerned about your career. I believe there are much more than meet the eyes in you but the way you look and the way you act are detrimental to your career.

- So you want me to be like you? Is that what you want? But I don't want to be like you and I'll never be like you even if I had plastic surgery 'cos the clothes don't make the man, or the woman for that matter. And by the way, you are not my mentor! You're not the role model I look up to! My mentor, here he is! –pointing to Lynley, and my role model, and my friend when we're at it!

- And here's the root of the problem, Barbara. You two are so close now that you don't give a damn about the other officers. You're like a couple!

- Isabelle…, Lynley pleaded dreading the way the conversation was turning but, then again, Barbara reacted more quickly than he:

- Bloody hell, don't tell me you're jealous! I'm not the one he used to bang!

Lynley winced. Ardery stiffened in her chair, and glanced coldly at Lynley:

- You told her? I should have guessed you would…What else did you tell her?

A relationship with a subordinate could put her career at risk but Lynley knew far worse about her and she was now afraid of what he might have told Havers.

- Let me put this straight, Isabelle. I have not told Barbara _anything_, he stressed out the last word. She just knows how to put two and two together and she reads me like an open book. She's rather percipient, you know. That's what makes her a good cop.

- Do you intend to use this information, sergeant?

- What?

Barbara was stunned. She had rapidly guessed that Lynley and Ardery were lovers but she had never thought about using this information against Ardery. First, because she wasn't of the blackmailer type, and second because Lynley was involved too and she'd never want to hurt him.

- I'm not a bloody grass! What you do and with whom you do it is none of my business as long as I don't take the blame for it. But I've got the feeling that you've hold a grudge against me since the beginning and it's only getting worse. You've complained about my look and now you're saying that I'm too close to the inspector in a way that implies a more personal relationship. Is that why you don't want us to work together anymore? To move me away from him? So that my irresistible sex-appeal won't stand in your way? I thought it was over between you but maybe you'd like him going back inside your knickers?

- Watch your words, sergeant! You're walking a very thin line. Inspector, do you want to say something?

Lynley sighed. He had forced himself to remain quiet and still during all the argument between the two women and now his head was pounding and his fists hurt for being clenched too tightly. He was caught between two lines of fire and he knew that they wanted him to choose his side, hierarchy or friendship, except it was not that simple. Both women he cared about and didn't want to lose their friendship. But he couldn't deny the feelings he had about Ardery's decision. True to his education he asked Ardery for a private talk not wanting to confront her in front of Barbara but when she drily rejected his request he resigned himself to speak.

- As I told you, I admit that sergeant Havers and I have gone too far on several occasions and I am truly sorry about that. I reckon that you've not been given permanent tenure to the post of superintendent yet and that your ability to manage the team will be of the utmost importance during your performance appraisal. I want to assure you that it has never been our intention to undermine your authority. To be perfectly clear, I _don't_ want the job. I've been proposed the post before and even acted as superintendent for some time but I made it clear that it was temporary. So you see I have nothing to gain from your dismissal. That being said, however, I must say that I don't understand your reason for ending my collaboration with sergeant Havers. As she had stressed, our solving rate is testimony to the fact that we _are_ an efficient team. Superintendent Webberly had built our team for he thought we could learn from each other and work effectively together and he's been proved right. We do complement each other. We trust each other, respect each other. We bring to the investigation two different views and this enables us to have a broad comprehension of the facts that is key to solving the case. Furthermore we have demonstrated our ability to work with other police officers or departments more than once. And you know that first hand because that's how we met.

- I wouldn't say that it went so smoothly, inspector.

- That's true and it was rather due to my own behaviour than to Barbara's. All this to tell you that I don't understand your decision. It feels like your punishing us. On a professional ground, for I can't believe this is not strictly professional, we may deserve the administrative equivalent of a slap on the wrist but breaking up our team on the pretense that we're threatening your authority does not make sense. You're overshooting. I know you've had a hard time with the team upon your arrival. Most of the officers were missing Webberly and resented your taking his job and the rest was just resenting your taking the job for they wanted it for themselves. But you can't force your leadership on the team by treating us unfairly or heavy-handedly, and you know that.

- I'm taking the risk, inspector Lynley.

- Come on, you're clever than that.

- I appreciate your high esteem of me, thank you, but I've made up my mind and there's no turning back. You're not going to work together anymore. So get yourselves used to it or consider changing job.

And on those last words, she dismissed them.

They went out silently and a bit stunned, and retreated to Lynley's office. The implicit threat of being sacked had unsettled Barbara. She couldn't afford to lose her job. She sat heavily on the chair in front of Lynley's desk and let out her anger and frustration.

- That bloody cow! Who the hell does she think she is?

- Well, the guv', I guess. We need to adopt a lower profile for some time, Barbara. She's got Hillier's blessing on that.

- 'Course she has! This bastard would be only too happy to have one good reason to sack us! He just can't stand how you and your hereditary title cast a shadow on his precious knighthood and he's been longing to sack me since the incident with Barlow. God, I still don't know how Webberly managed to convince him of not giving me the boot then.

- That's why we have to be cautious, Havers. Especially you. Hillier knows your record. He knows that, before our partnership, you've had trouble working with the other DIs. Even with McPherson it didn't go well. Damn and blast, Barbara, Angus is such a nice fellow and he doesn't want to work with you anymore.

- I know…My charm's been totally lost on him.

Lynley smiled: Havers' mood was improving. She was shifting from anger back to her sarcastic self.

- We have no choice, Barbara. We've lost this battle. That does not mean we should enjoy that. But, how's the motto? Live and fight another day? Well, that's exactly what we should do. And the first step is to be absolutely beyond reproach. So tame down a bit and work genuinely with whomever you'll be partnered with, as you did with me…

- Nice little sergeant Havers…

- and we might be able to reverse the situation and work together again, as a team.

- I wonder…

- What?

- If they someday change their mind, would you still want to work with me?

- I couldn't imagine a better partner, Barbara.

- Not even Winston?

- Not even Winston. So will you do ourselves a favour and not get sacked?

- I'll try. But if I end up working with Stewart that'll be a real challenge! What about you? Think you'll cope?

- I'll cope, Barbara. And so will you.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: I realize that my chapters keep growing longer; I don't know where this would lead us! So another long chapter dealing with the main characters' feelings about the new situation, and how they cope. Then onto the real thing: after all, that's a murder story! Thanks everyone for the very nice reviews so far. I hope you will enjoy this chapter as well (and the next, and the next, and the next…). Let me know.

Back at home at the end of the day Lynley had poured himself a dram of whisky and settled in his most comfortable leather armchair at the sound of Rachmaninoff's Piano concerto No.3. But Mozart's Requiem would have better fitted his state of mind.

_I'm not the one he used to bang!_

The recollection of Barbara Havers' bitter remark kept bothering him. So she knew all along, he thought. He'd never told her about his relationship with their superior. It had to remain a secret because it was forbidden by the Met's regulation but he knew he could have told Barbara. She would have never spilled the beans. But he had not told her. And what would have been the point anyway? He'd been well aware from the start that his relationship with Ardery would go nowhere. She'd made it clear from the very start: only the occasional intercourse, no feelings involved. He'd been fine with this as he wasn't ready at the time to get involved emotionally with a woman; it was still too soon after Helen's death. When he had found himself reluctant to tell Barbara about it, he'd thought that this was none of her business anyway and that she didn't need to know everything about his private life. But he had since then realized that the truth was that he'd not been comfortable telling her. The whole situation had been a bit pathetic, with Ardery having the upper hand on him, choosing whenever they'd meet or not and him just complying to her wishes as if he had no will of his own. He had not been at his best in this story and had not wanted to show Barbara his weakness and his eagerness to lose himself in whatever physical pleasure he could find to forget his loneliness. After Helen's death he'd been overwhelmed with pain and he had isolated himself from his family, from his friends and colleagues to forget that pain but once he'd been back in London and had realized that he would have to face life without Helen, for he would actually survive this ordeal, he'd longed for a semblance of normality and after resuming his work, resuming his sex life had seemed just the next thing to do. Except that, as time went by, he'd longed more and more for something deeper than the mere encounter of two bodies in a bed, however satisfying. And admitting his affair to Havers while knowing all the same that he wanted more and that Isabelle was not the one who could give him that had been impossible. He remembered only too well his first murder case with Havers and how she had reacted to his night with Stepha Odell. The memory of Barbara yelling at him at the top of her lungs, accusing him of being a womanizer, of sleeping with all the women who could act as surrogates to Deborah was still vivid in his mind. He had not put her right at the time and she had learned later in their partnership how wrong she'd been but he had not been so sure he could face Barbara and tell her of his relationship with Isabelle without feeling somewhat guilty. And that feeling of guilt unnerved him for why would he feel guilty? He was a grown-up man, free to choose how to lead his life; free to choose his sexual partners without considering how Barbara Havers would feel about them. He had never considered Barbara when courting Helen, in fact he'd even confided to her the different steps of their rocky relationship. But that was then and his love for Helen had been so strong it had obliterated everything and everyone else. However, since his return to the Met he'd been surprised to find himself eager to appear at his best in front of Barbara. Even more so since that night he'd spent on her couch comforting her after Hadiyyah's disappearance.

_I'm not the one he used to bang!_

God, that had hurt him, her way of saying this, making it appear so disgusting, so wrong. She'd let her anger burst so vociferously, so crudely he'd wondered if this was out of rage alone. Or could she possibly have been jealous? Lynley smiled at the thought. Surely no. There's never been anything but friendship between them. Barbara had never made a move or said anything that may have indicated more romantic feelings. And if she had had how would have he reacted? How would he react now? Havers. Barbara Havers. Maddening, ill-dressed, chain-smoking woman. A bit of a pit-bull when following a trail. Witty. Loyal. A radiant smile that puts sparkles in her eyes as blue as a Scottish sky. Lynley went up and stopped the CD. There was definitely too much violin in that piano concerto piece. He went to his bedroom and started to undress. His wedding photograph was on the chest of drawers. He took it and went to sit on the bed. _Helen. I miss you so much darling_. And then he thought about the time when Helen and he were mere friends. Who could have guessed that they would get married? Old duck, he used to call her affectionately then. He wished he could still talk to her. She had this incredible capacity to understand his every feeling. She would have known that something was bothering him and he would have told her about the meeting with Ardery and how he and Havers were not allowed to work together any longer. Maybe he'd have even told her about Barbara's acrimonious remark and how he'd come to wonder if his partner fancied him. And Helen would have found the right words to assuage his fears about his professional future and she would have added with a mischievous smile on her face that if Barbara had been in love with him and him with her that would have led to the most bizarre situation:" Tommy darling, can you imagine that? I have it that she's not found of the aristocracy but if she were your wife she'd be Lady Barbara, Countess of Asherton. That would be the last straw, wouldn't it? She'd probably kill anyone calling her Her Ladyship." And they would have laughed at the silliness of the thought. But was it so silly a thought, Lynley reflected. He put back the photograph on the chest of drawers and went to bed. He turned off the light_. Lady Barbara? Hmm…That indeed would be interesting…_He shrugged the thought off and pulling the blanket over him felt asleep.

During the following weeks Lynley and Havers carried out their superior's orders to the letter. Lynley worked with DS Nkata while Barbara, as she had dreaded, was teamed up with DI Stewart. The two former partners avoided being alone in the same room as much as possible and when, by chance, their paths crossed in the corridor they nodded a brief salute to the other without even slowing their pace. Lynley seemed to adapt just fine but for Barbara the situation was much more difficult to bear. Collaborating with DI Stewart was even worse than in her recollection. She couldn't stand the man whom she considered a woman-hater of the worst kind whereas Stewart blatantly despised her both as a woman and as a detective. He had made things clear from the start: he was fully in charge of the investigation and she was to follow his lead without any comment. Barbara was convinced Stewart would be only too happy to have her fired so she made sure to follow his orders scrupulously. She did the research, entered data into the HOLMES system and transmitted Stewart factual reports. She wasn't thinking anymore and she hated that. Since the very first day of their collaboration, Lynley had asked her for her active contribution to every investigation. He had urged her to share her thoughts about the case. They had not always agreed, to say the least, and sometimes the discussion had turned to confrontation for they both had strong personalities but they had worked that way for years and Barbara had the feeling that Lynley had enjoyed these moments as much as she had. But DI Stewart was no DI Lynley and he was not interested in knowing what a sergeant, especially a female one, may think about a case. Barbara sometimes felt as if she had been demoted once again but she had worked too hard to join the Metropolitan Police CID to let Stewart destroy her career. Luckily her work to find Hadiyyah had finally bore fruit. Barbara had good hope that Azhar and his daughter would be reunited soon and she clung to this thought to find solace. It helped her stand her everyday life. That and the fact that Lynley and she had managed to stay in touch, on a discreet but regular basis.

It had begun one evening she had been working late to finish a report for Stewart. The day had been dreadful: first her car had refused to start, she had had to rush to catch the tube but she had arrived late at the office bringing down Stewart's wrath upon herself. Then she had had to go with him all day to interview various witnesses and had had to endure his obnoxious comments about her. Finally they had come back to the office late in the evening and as Barbara was getting ready to go home, Stewart had come to the open-space office she shared with the other sergeants and constables, saying that he wanted to see her report on his desk first thing in the morning, and had left the Yard. The whole task would take her around two hours and she wasn't sure she'd be able to catch the last tube to Acton. She would have cried with rage but was firmly determined not to give this pleasure to the inspector so she had said nothing and had dutifully complied. Lynley had been in the room all along, with DS Nkata, bent over some photographs but he had not lost a word of the conversation between Stewart and Barbara. He had not interfered, his attention fully on the pictures Nkata was showing him but, two hours later, when Barbara had walked to Stewart's office to put the report on his desk, Lynley had intercepted her in the deserted corridor and had simply said: "Fancy a drink?". He had said he'd been working late too but Barbara suspected he had been waiting for her on purpose. They had left the Yard separately and when Barbara had arrived at the Seven Bells Lynley was already seated at a table in a corner of the pub nursing a pint. She had ordered a Bass and had sat opposite him. They had talked for about an hour. She had confided to him what she felt about her work with Stewart and he had tried to appease her before driving her home. Since that evening they used to meet once or twice a week, at one place or the other, for a drink and a talk. They were careful not to be seen together but neither of them would have given up their meetings. During their first nights out they had talked mainly about work but progressively the conversation had turned friendlier as they got on to more private matters. Barbara was waiting eagerly for these meetings; she needed the comfort of the small talk with Lynley. It was her lifebelt and she was sure Lynley liked these moments with her too for whenever one of them was away from London he always phoned her so they could talk. They felt a bit like conspirators having to hide themselves but they had to keep up appearances. They did so well nobody suspected anything, not even Winston Nkata.

DS Nkata had been worried about Barbara since word came out that she was not to work with Lynley anymore. He knew that her partnership with the inspector meant a lot to her and he'd dreaded her reaction. But he'd been surprised to see her coping well enough. No cry, no fury, no sudden burst of anger or resentment, not a single bad word against Stewart. _So unlike her_, Winston had thought, _but so like Lynley._ So Nkata had opened his eyes and ears trying to find a clue as to whether Barbara was still in contact with her former partner but he had not seen nor heard anything. He'd even tried to talk to Lynley about Barbara's reaction, or rather lack of, but the inspector had remained mum on the subject. And Barbara wouldn't tell either. So he had suspicions but not a single proof, and he was smart enough to understand that this may have been for the better. Winston Nkata was ambitious and he knew that Lynley and Havers were prone to break rules if it suited them. He also knew that Lynley would not jeopardize a young man's promising career if he could avoid it. If Lynley and Havers were not talking to him about what was going on, surely it meant they were up to no good. So Winston stopped wondering about Barbara's behaviour and counted his stars being Lynley's partner on every case. He had a lot to learn from the inspector and was firmly decided to make the most out of the situation.

For Lynley things were getting more complicated by the day. He was quite happy about DS Nkata's work. The man was a smart copper, with a good instinct and the guts to act on it and was capable of great initiatives. He was also easy to work with, not like one female sergeant, Lynley mused. One could have thought everything was just fine for the inspector. But one would have been badly wrong for Lynley was longing for his ill-tempered former partner. She'd been his first choice as a partner on almost all occasions, and he still felt the same. Nkata was a very good copper but Barbara was brilliant. No matter her bad temper, her disdain for hierarchy, her prejudices against the upper class, she was the one he wanted by his side on a criminal case. And for those very reasons. Lynley knew his own shortcomings and he knew DS Nkata would not stand up to him the way DS Havers had always done. He's had his share of bad decisions, had been on a wrong track several times, and had sometimes been blinded by his faith that there was such a thing as a Gentleman's way. Havers had always voiced her concern or reprobation whenever he'd been wrong and he had to admit she'd been right more than once. And now Lynley was worried about her because he could see that Barbara was having a hard time with DI Stewart. He had started these evening talks with her to try to contain her frustration, and let her know that he'd not given up the idea of working with her again. These conversations and what he could see at the Yard had shed light on how Stewart was treating Barbara, and Lynley was not happy about that. Worse, there was nothing he could do, and he hated that. He'd always considered John Stewart a good officer and had used to treat Barbara's bad comments about him as merely due to her bias against the man but he had seriously reconsidered his opinion. Stewart was a good copper as long as he wasn't working with a woman, in which case he indulged in the most misogynic conduct possible. He was actually treating Havers like crap and Lynley was not sure he could stand this much longer. He feared that sooner rather than latter something would have to give. So when he took this new case he knew that, if he maneuvered it with care, it could serve his purpose.

He'd been called one morning on a crime scene in the back alley of a pub on Uxbridge Road. A delivery man had found a body while unloading his cargo of beer barrels. Lynley had gone to the crime scene with DS Nkata. The corpse was that of a mixed-race man seemingly in his mid-forties, with short curly black hair and the beginning of a bald patch on the top of his head. The man had been badly beaten: black eye, bruises on his cheekbones and forearms, wounded knuckles but from their look these were ancient wounds as the haematoma had already turned yellowish and the wounds on his hand had been healing. When asked about the cause of death the legist had pointed to the left side of the man's skull where his hair was soaked with blood. Massive blow to the temporal bone, resulting in a fractured skull, inflicted sometime between 12 pm and 6 am. The time range would be reduced after the autopsy, the legist had added while handing Lynley a wallet in a transparent forensics bag. In the wallet Lynley had found the ID card of the victim. He was one Mark Follett, with a resident address in Acton. Lynley had also found a plastic library card delivered by the Learning Center of Acton Burrough College with the mention Staff member in bold red letters. He'd paid a quick phone call to the college and had discovered that Prof. Follett was an English teacher working on the Acton campus. Everywhere he'd looked Lynley had found a connection with Acton. And an idea had made its way into his brain, when Nkata had inadvertently stated the obvious.

- Acton? That's Barbara's turf, innit, sir?, the sergeant had asked.

- Indeed, Winston. Indeed.

He needed to play it carefully but if he could remain calm throughout the discussion he may be able to win Hillier over. The Assistant Commissioner was always looking for good PR and Lynley knew how he could derive a benefit from that fact. He braced himself before entering Hillier's office and made a secret vow of keeping his composure whatever the AC might say. Hillier was seated at his desk and gestured to Lynley to take a seat in front of him.

- Detective Inspector, I have no more than ten minutes to spare so make your point quickly.

- Thank you for taking the time to see me, sir. I won't be long. As you may know I am leading an investigation on the murder of one Professor Follett who was an English teacher on a college campus in Acton.

- Acting Superintendent Ardery has mentioned this during our staff meeting. I must say that I have a strong interest for this investigation Lynley and I want you to work diligently on it.

_I bet you do,_ Lynley thought. The Met had been under a lot of scrutiny recently as racism allegations had surfaced once again. The media had let out stories about how colored victims were not treated on a par with white ones. The inquiry on the murder of a mixed-race teacher, if conducted and, more important, publicized correctly could be a good opportunity to show that the Met was treating all citizens equal.

- Be assured that this case has all my attention, sir, but… Lynley made his voice trail off intentionally.

- But what, Lynley?

He now had Hillier's full attention.

- The victim was living and working in Acton, sir, and I think that if I could have someone who knows the neighbourhood well working with me, the investigation could be dealt with more efficiently.

- Who's working on this case with you?

- DS Nkata is.

- And you'd want?

_Now was the moment of truth…_

- DS Havers.

- I thought Acting DSI Ardery didn't want you to work with Havers anymore.

- That was three months ago, sir. We did as ordered and DS Havers has done a good job with DI Stewart. But I do think that she would be of greater help on this case that DS Nkata. She was born in Acton, went to school there and lived there almost all her life. She only moved out 5 years ago. She would easily mingle with the persons we need to see there. They will be more likely to talk to a woman who used to live in Acton than to me or to DS Nkata, I reckon.

_Here. He'd placed the word "woman". Always nice for PR to have a woman in the team. Almost as good as having a colored person. And as the victim was mixed-race, having Nkata on the job would be a bit too much, too obvious. Well, that's what he hoped Hillier would think._

- And once the case is solved?

- Then it will be up to Acting DSI Ardery to decide whether Havers and I are cleared to work together again or not.

Hillier took a minute to think over what Lynley had told him. Finally he made up his mind.

- I warn you, Lynley. No false step on this case. I don't want to hear anybody complain about you or Havers. I won't save your sorry arse if the damn woman goes out of control. And I want you to report daily and assist me with the press whenever I ask.

- So this means…

- Yes, take Havers if you want her so badly. Not that I can fathom it out.

- Thank you, sir. You won't regret it.

- I already does, Lynley.

Only after having closed the door behind him did Lynley realized that he'd been holding his breath. He let out a sigh, and walked back to his office to retrieve his coat and his car keys. He then went to the common office where Barbara was seated at her desk, and walked past her, saying:

- Come with me, Havers. We're back in business.

He was stepping into the lift when Barbara joined him, running, her big shoulder bag trailing behind her.

- So that's it, sir? DSI Ardery has finally came to her senses and understood that you can't solve a case without my brilliant assistance?

- Actually I convinced Hillier of that. I let him convince Ardery.

- So we don't have the guv's blessing?

- I'm afraid we don't.

- But we're on a case together?

- So it seems, sergeant.

Barbara frowned.

- She's not going to be happy about that.

- That's for sure.

- She'll make us _pay_ for that.

- I reckon she's already planning her revenge.

Barbara leant again the wall, smiling.

- I'm glad we're working together again, sir.

- So am I, Barbara. So am I.


End file.
